Thread: Rep. Lamar Smith pulls SOPA; pushes "Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act."

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My point is that we need a new set of tactics. Our old methods of fighting oppression are failing us. Like I said before,hope only serves a purpose when it has a goal.

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

eventually there will be no way to rebel even if we all wanted to because the technology is advancing too far forward.

This sounds a bit hopeless to me... yes? Meh. Maybe it's all of the books that I've read and movies that I've watched, but I have faith in the people when the time comes. A bit of a romantic outlook maybe.

Pretty fantastic video explanation of ACTA if anyone is interested.
I think this kind of thing will go through and once the general public gets off Farmville and realizes this applies to everyone, not just pirates, some pitchforking and pillaging will start. Or they'll just play more Farmville since they don't have any YouTube to watch and completely ignore it (that is, until Farmville gets shut down because someone planted digital soybeans that are the property of Monsanto). Sometimes it is too much to ask for people to even defend themselves. They just blindly accept that despite how handicapped and Orwellian the government becomes, they have nothing to worry about.

I like your comment more than the video summary.

On a side note, it almost sounds as though he's either faking his accent or has something in his mouth.

Yes actually I've realized that this video applies to earlier drafts of ACTA anyways. The final draft has cut down quite a bit so that it applies mostly to commercial scale infringement. It is still a large concern though but I don't quite understand it in its current form so here's a Reddit post explaining it. He definitely seems like he knows what he is talking about. I've read the final version of ACTA, here's what you need to know about it. : politics VERY LONG, post continues in the comments.

You know.... I made a thread about this, no one responded.

Originally Posted by ThePreserver

(Didn't something like this go through in Australia?)

Nope, it had 97% disapproval from the public haha
It wasn't exactly the same either, but it had the "child porn" cover story.
But basically they were just going to blacklist websites, at 100's of millions of dollars cost,
with no reason for blacklisting, they could just do it.

But yeah, it never passed. It seems people care more about the internet than injustices IRL.

EDIT: Hmmmm, just reading through the reddit thread that was posted.
It seems it is similar to the treaties that were put in place for drugs back when they first became illegal.
Basically an international treaty which certain countries sign and agree to, and then have to implement their own laws to meet
that clauses in the treaty. Only difference is the drug one was basically forced signing for most countries.

Still reading through the thread so I don't know how harsh some of the things are that the signatory countries have to create laws for.
The problem with these things is it's VERY hard to "unsign" from them, afaik.
And if you do it won't bode well for foreign relations.

Originally Posted by ThePreserver

This sounds a bit hopeless to me... yes? Meh. Maybe it's all of the books that I've read and movies that I've watched, but I have faith in the people when the time comes. A bit of a romantic outlook maybe.

To do what?

Anyone else noticed that all the upload sites are now cracking down hardcore on illegal files?
Seriously, every link I've been to is dead.
One site even said that you can no longer share files, only access ones that you have uploaded personally.
Pretty scary. Guess their scare tactics worked this time....

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

To do what?

To care! I have faith that people might possibly care about their futures

A goal without a plan is just a wish

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

A goal without a plan is just a wish

Then stop complaining about/marginalizing my optimism and help make a plan?

Attacking optimism seems pretty counter-productive when a movement needs passionate supporters...

I don't see why people are crying and acting like they need to lay down belly up because this is happening. SOPA was defeated; this will be too. Didn't people think SOPA was gonna pass and ruin everything? Well, they were wrong. This is why pessimism looks pathetic and weak, not smart or strong.

SOPA didn't pass only BECAUSE people thought it WOULD pass.
How is that not obvious?

If we all just assume this isn't going to pass, WHO THE FUCK IS GOING TO STOP IT FROM PASSING!????

I think this is all just a sign that the government and corporations are finally beginning to realize how powerful the internet really is. They're starting to attack it because they're taking it more seriously, as a threat to their control over the national dialogue. The attempts won't work though. People are used to their free internet and will keep revolting, even or especially if a bad law passed and the average person noticed the changes. At least I would assume.

Originally Posted by ThePreserver

Then stop complaining about/marginalizing my optimism and help make a plan?

Attacking optimism seems pretty counter-productive when a movement needs passionate supporters...

If someone's got a kidney infection and their intent is to pray it away, I'm going to suggest they come up with more practical treatment. If I told them to see a doctor, they might reply "What do doctor's know?" but if I ask them what they plan to accomplish with their current mode of thought, it gets them thinking.

If I were to present a plan, the socratic effect would be lost and this would be turned into criticism against my ideas rather than me criticizing wishful thinking.

Originally Posted by DeeryTheDeer

I think this is all just a sign that the government and corporations are finally beginning to realize how powerful the internet really is. They're starting to attack it because they're taking it more seriously, as a threat to their control over the national dialogue. The attempts won't work though. People are used to their free internet and will keep revolting, even or especially if a bad law passed and the average person noticed the changes. At least I would assume.

Yes but you're acting like a new law (this one and others after it) will be defeated just by magic. People have to DO something for bills to be defeated.
And it's much harder to get a law removed than it is to stop a bill being passed. We're not gonna wait until it's a law and people start noticing something's different.
That's a really, really horrible mindset to have.

Originally Posted by tommo

Yes but you're acting like a new law (this one and others after it) will be defeated just by magic. People have to DO something for bills to be defeated.
And it's much harder to get a law removed than it is to stop a bill being passed. We're not gonna wait until it's a law and people start noticing something's different.
That's a really, really horrible mindset to have.

Since when did I say it would be defeated by magic? OF COURSE people have to do something.

I don't see why people are crying and acting like they need to lay down belly up because this is happening. SOPA was defeated; this will be too. Didn't people think SOPA was gonna pass and ruin everything? Well, they were wrong. This is why pessimism looks pathetic and weak, not smart or strong.

Right there.

The conundrum appears to be that people who are asking how we should take down this new act, and how we are supposed to protect our liberty, are being construed as pessimists. We are not pessimists, we're asking for people to start thinking up more effective tactics. That is all.

When we are losing more battles than we're winning, a pessimist would say it's time to surrender, a pragmatist would say it's time to rethink our strategy. I'm simply trying to be a pragmatist.